You can't stop a tropical storm or hurricane, but you can take steps now to protect you,  your family, your business, and your community. Atlantic Hurricane Season is not over, and as we head into National Preparednes Month in September think about this year's theme “Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”and how it applies to you and your readines... Hurricanes are not just a coastal concern, they can, of course batter the coasts with winds, rain, and storm surges, but they can also strike interior states, and can cause severe inland flooding. If you live in coastal areas at risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages you to begin preparing yourself for hurricane season. The Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 through November 30 each year.Hurricane & Tsunami: Hurricanes, Tropical Storms, Cyclones, Storm Surge and Tsunami… Whew! First let us point out that Hurricanes are not just a coastal concern. Hurricanes cause serious harm inland as well. Don’t think that you won’t be impacted by hurricanes just because you are many miles from the coastline. You are not necessarily immune to the ravages of Hurricanes and Tropical Storms. Tropical cyclones often produce widespread, torrential rains in excess of 6 inches, which may result in deadly and destructive floods. In fact, flooding is the major threat from tropical cyclones for people living inland. Flash flooding, defined as a rapid rise in water levels, can occur quickly due to intense rainfall. Longer term flooding on rivers and streams can persist for several days after the storm, and a Storm Surge (water from the ocean that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around the hurricane. This advancing surge combines with the normal tides and can increase the water level by 30 feet or more) can back up rivers and estuaries that normally flow freely to sea – creating overrun riverbanks upstream. Preparedness for these onslaughts includes raingear and ponchos, standard preparedness supplies and evacuation plans – plus all the flood considerations and extra attention to communication devices as landlines and mobile phones will almost certainly be out after major winds.
Are you READY? Are you READY?
Please follow these important hurricane preparedness tips from CDC: After you have read these tips, please review the other resources available on the CDC Hurricanes website.